Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2016

This is the month flowers really get going here at Longview Ranch, and it's a pink- yellow- and blue-flowered March outside this week. The three together isn't my most favorite of color combos, but is undeniably spring-like. Let's take a look:

Acacia pravissima is blooming in tiny, brilliant yellow puffs.

It lights up one whole corner of the garden, and looks great backed by a neighboring magnolia in bloom.

The Mahonia are having a banner year. This is Mahonia repens.

And here is Mahonia aquifolium with Ribes sanguineum in the foreground.

A little bit closer, so you can see the drooping pink flower trusses of the Ribes better.

The big feed is over, but a few flowers remain on Arctostaphylos 'Austin Griffiths' to tantalize the visiting hummers.

Minute curly white flowers have appeared on Grevillea australis.

Daphne transatlantica 'Eternal Fragrance' has been such a performer all winter. It shows no sign of stopping.

Their foliage is looking a little the worse for wear, but the flowers on several dwarf Pieris japonica 'Prelude' are a delight.

A common Rosemary is covered in blue flowers.

And Vinca minor is loving all our rain.

Ceanothus maritimus 'Valley Violet' is still in a pot. It came home with us in early February from the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, so I hope it can adapt to the winter wet of Portland.

But indoors, it's orange this month!

This Schlumbergera surprises us with blooms at odd times.

Clivia miniata is forcing a bloom out from between its leaves. I recently read that they should be kept drier after December to encourage the bloom stalk to extend upward before the flowers open. I'll try that next year.

Bloom Day is hosted faithfully on the 15th of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, where she happily shares what's blooming with the world.

16 comments:

You're Camellia 'April Kiss' is so far ahead of mine! Though, mine is in such deep shade, I'm amazed it has flower buds at all. Your Eternal Fragrance daphne has more open flowers than mine, too. It's funny, I usually don't like yellow or pink, but I LOVE mahonias and Ribes sanguineum! Cooler temperatures in winter are also important for clivias to form tall bloom stalks. I used to keep mine at the cool end of the house, where it was usually 65F or less. This winter they went to the greenhouse and were kept just above freezing.

My acacia just gave up the ghost this year. I was worried about it getting too big for years, and this year, it died after a 20+ year run. It was special because my mom gave it to me, and she's no longer with us. It may have been the drought that killed it, but it was pretty well established, don't know what their lifespan is. Really nice to see your blooms, the wood is so beautiful as well. I still have to chop it down, am thinking of finding a good use for the wood... Sniff.

I covet your Acacia, Jane! It is beautiful! I tried one once, but it perished in the winter of 2013. I was so bummed... If you ever find out what kind of magnolia that is, please let me know. I remember it gets those very genitalian fruits.